Flesh Farewell
by CosmicGirl22
Summary: set in season 4---Edgar/Ofc/Sylar chap4 Edgar has Ness help with his 'act' but can he throw a knife at her?
1. Chapter 1

Set in Season 4 around episode 5(Tabula Rasa)_Warning may contain Season 4 Spoilers-so read at your own risk!!!!! -

'Sylar/Nathan' is new at the Carnival------And ya- when I say 'Nathan' its actually Sylar's body with Nathan's memories.…..enjoy!

Carne Vale-apparently means 'Flesh Farewell' Thank you Wikipedia.

* * *

"What should we call you? Gabriel? Sylar?" Samuel asked him. "Take a deep breath…What's the first name that pops into your head?"

"Call me Nathan."

---

"Gar here, can finish your tour." Lydia, that tattoo'd lady, walked away-her skirt flowing in the light breeze.

"Gar?" Nathan asked as he looked at the girl. Her clothes weren't as flowing as Lydia's and she wasn't as classically pretty as Lydia, but still her winked smile and way of looking at him caught him off guard. She was cute-even though her cheeks were a bit smudged.

"Short for Garbage Girl…Its not my real name. Just what people call me around here. My real name is Ness. Nice to meet you." She reached out her hand to shake his.

"Nathan-I think." he shook her hand reluctantly.

"I like it." she grinned and stuck her hand back in to the garbage bin.

"What are you doing?" he asked out of genuine interest, covertly wiping his hand on his shirt.

"Digging through the garbage." she said loftily. "I said _Garbage Girl _wasn't my real name, but that doesn't mean I didn't earn it as a nickname."

"This is a hobby-or….?" he laughed a bit at her intense look as she purposefully rifled through the old corndog sticks and bubblegum wrappers.

"Its my power." She smiled and proudly pulled out a teddy bear from the trashcan. It had clearly seen better days. The head had been ripped off and was only hanging on by a couple of threads.

"You find….treasures, do you?" Nathan asked, clearly thinking this ragged, ketchup-coated teddy bear was better off left in the bin.

"Something like that." she looked it over. "I saw some boys steal this from a little girl not long ago. They ripped its head off and dumped it in here." She sighed and looked around. "I thought I should rescue it and give it back to her."

"…and you think she'll want it now?" he asked. His dark eyebrows furrowing together.

"Yeah." Ness grinned more to herself and waved her hand over the teddy bear. There was a small fizzling sound and the teddy bear returned to looking like new. "I think she might." Nathan looked at the doll-still shocked that he wasn't the only one to possess these abilities. "Come on-Lets go find her." She hit him on the shoulder and led him off in the direction of the Zipper.

A few paces away, Edgar stood-knife in hand-watching.

---

"So you fix things?" Nathan asked as they walked, dodging the carnival patrons. He wasn't sure why but that seemed familiar to him. Fixing broken things-watches….understanding how they worked…

"Not really." Ness replied-still craning her head around looking for the young girl in a blue dress with braided hair. "I can take things to any point in their life span. Objects have lives-just like people." She explained

"That's interesting." He said, though seemed not convinced.

"Everything has a birth..." Ness took the teddy bear and ran her hand over it again. With a slight fizzle she was holding a lump of material-some thread, fluff, and buttons. "And a death…" She waved her hand again and was holding the near headless dirty mass of fluff from before. "But the part that really matters is everything in between." She grinned and once again the bear was in mint condition. Nathan took the bear from her and examined it. He smelled it. There was no trace of the garbage bin left on it-only what was left on 'Gar's' hands.

They continued walking.

"Is that her?" He asked, pointing at a little girl hidden behind a booth still crying.

Ness looked where he was pointing and nodded. "Why don't you give it to her?"

"I…um…" Nathan faltered.

"Come on." she smiled. "Can't be afraid of kids if you're going to work in a carnival." She smiled.

"I'm not afraid." he crossed his arms. "I just-thought she might not like a strange man coming at her with toys is all."

Ness laughed. "Alright, Nathan. We'll go together."

They walked up to the girl. She looked up at them-her eyes still red.

"I think this belongs to you." Ness said grinning and handed the girl the bear.

"You fixed it!?" the girl asked.

"Something like that." Ness grinned.

"Cool! Thanks!" The girl jumped up and ran off to find her family.

"You just made a little girl very happy." Nathan remarked as she ran away.

"In a place like this-everyone should be happy." She grinned up him. "I think you will be too, someday."

"I think I'm starting to be." he started to grin back. He wasn't sure why but from both Lydia and Ness's attention and Samuel's words beginning to sink in, he was starting to feel like he belonged here.

"Come with me back to the trailers-We'll get cleaned up for supper." She smiled.

"If its all the same to you. I think Ill sit here awhile." He walked over to a wooden plank by a nearby booth. "I need to gather my thoughts a bit."

"Understandable." She nodded.

"Thanks, Ness." he added-almost as an afterthought.

"See you around." She grinned-part of her glad he didn't call her 'Gar.'

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	2. Chapter 2

Update!

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"What you doing, Gar?" Edgar asked in his accent as she approached. He leaned forward in the folding chair outside her trailer- where he had been sharpening his favorite knife in his hand.

"Washing up for supper, and you?" she asked, confused as to why he was choosing to do that here.

"You done showing the youngling around." Edgar ignored her question and continued to draw his blade along the smooth rock.

"Youngling, Edgar? Really?" she rolled her eyes and reached for her trailer door. She stepped up into her home. It was filled with knickknacks and other random objects she had 'saved' from various places (garbage bins) and collected.

"Well, he aint one of us, that's for sure." Edgar followed her up into her small trailer as she turned on the water in her makeshift kitchenette area. Edgar chose to stand by the door.

"Not yet, maybe." She soaped up her hands. "But he will be-soon."

"Will he, now?" Edgar reflexively turned his knife over in his hand.

"Samuel thinks so." She turned off the water.

"Ah-yeah. Samuel thinks so." Edgar smirked and looked away back out the window where he saw Samuel talking to Sylar across the lot. His displeasure showing on his face. He stuck his knife back into its sheath.

"You know Edgar---" Ness dried her hands on a nearby towel and walked up to him-leaning in closely to follow his gaze. Her close proximity caused him to look away from Samuel and Sylar and down at her. "---I don't get you. You're so desperate for Samuels approval, yet you challenge his word at every turn."

"It's not Samuel's approval that I'm desperate for, Gar." He was still looking down at her. His voice lower than it had been.

"Who's then?" she asked.

"Yours." he half whispered, one of his strong hands finding the side of her face-running down her slightly unkempt hair to rest on her shoulder.

"If only that were true." she sighed-almost sadly.

"Come to my caravan tonight, and I'll prove it to you." He leaned in.

Ness's eyes caught movement outside. Samuel was leading Sylar away-towards the House of Mirrors.

She pulled away just before Edgar's lips touched hers.

"I need to go help with the food, Edgar." she lied and slipped out of her trailer.

Edgar straightened up-once again alone.

---

Sylar ran out of the House of Mirrors like he was running from a ghost. His eyes narrowed in on the nearest bin as he felt the bile rise up in his throat. He threw himself into it and vomited- the things he had seen in there were horrific. How could that have ever have been him?

"Whoa - You ok?" he looked up confused as the sun was going down behind the girls head.

It was Nessa, the trash girl from earlier. "Looks like I'll need to remember not to go digging in here for awhile." she said-her tone was comforting making the images he had seen in the mirror seem vaguer-distant almost, like a slowly fading dream.

He breathed heavily and his hair fell down into his face -covering one of his dark eyes. "It was…horrible.." he managed to get out between labored breath. He managed a weak point back in the direction of the House of Mirrors.

"There now." Ness took him by the shoulders. "Let's get you over here." She moved him to the blue wooden planks he had been sitting on before. He sat down and she sunk down beside him. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

He looked lost and confused, then something in his face changed. He looked-angry.

"I'm a murderer." he said finally. "All those people…I killed them…"

"There, now." she said trying to cheer him. "We've all done things we regret."

"You didn't see in there." he said forcefully and pointed to the Mirror House. His eyes bore into hers. "I'm a monster." As he said the words it was as though he was also hearing it for the first time.

"Now now." Samuel said loftily as he came around the corner. His gaze lingering on Ness's close presence to Sylar. "Gar, I wonder if you wouldn't mind letting us speak privately for a bit." he said tossing her a covert nod. "Maybe get our boy here a snow cone. He seems a bit flushed from the heat."

Ness didn't like it-Heat, her ass. She thought Nathan needed her-a lot more than he needed a snow cone. But, Samuel was a master of this--making new people feel welcome here at the carnival. She stood, trusting Samuels judgment, and after a supportive pat on Nathan's back she walked over to the snow cone stand near by.

"Keep her away from me. All of them." Nathan said still looking bleak. "I could hurt them. How many have I killed? A dozen? Two dozen?"

"I'm sorry for your pain." Samuel said. "Damien's power is strong. The truth can be difficult."

"Difficult?" Nathan snapped back. Samuel held up his hand in a calming fashion, but it didn't stop Nathan. "I am a monster. I stalk people and slash open their skulls!"

"Has it ever occurred to you to question what brought you here?" Samuel asked him. Nathan looked over Samuel's shoulder toward Ness still standing back a ways-his snow cone in hand. "-Why providence has seen fit for our paths to cross?" Nathan didn't answer. "You wanted to know the truth, and now you do. The question is…where you gonna go from here?"

Nathan looked down.

"Out theres a dark scary world, Nathan. A world that doesn't understand you-full of people who persecute our kind. But in here…." Samuel opened his arms up wide as the lights of the fair started to kick on. "You'll be in the embrace of a community who loves you for exactly who you are."

Nathan's eyes looked past Samuel.

"We're family, Nathan…family accepts- and forgives." Samuel said into his ear.

Nathan nodded. Ness smiled from her spot further behind away-realizing it was a nod that meant he was soon to be one of them.

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Please review! what you think? do we like her with Nathan/Sylar/Gabriel orrr should Edgar gonna be the one?


	3. Chapter 3

Teddy passed the chili to Ness, who then passed it to Edgar -and then to Samuel. They were gathered round one of the many tables for their supper. Everyone made their plates but waited to eat until Samuel spoke a few words.

"Brothers and sisters-" he began rising his hands in a grandiose manner. "Tonight should be a celebration. Our circle is once again coming to completion. We have new blood-" Samuel explained. All eyes at the table turned to Sylar-who was sitting beside Lydia. She smiled over at him and placed a comforting hand on his. Ness saw this and for some reason felt a twinge of jealousy wash over her. She looked over at Edgar, who was watching as well. "-Nathan has agreed to be brought in to the family tonight."

There were a few cheers and Nessa clapped herself-which garnished a look of contempt from Edgar. Who, when caught, picked up his spoon and heaved a large bite into his mouth-clearly pouting.

The meal went on and everyone ate happily, then afterward Nathan was dressed in white and taken to the nearby water bed.

Everyone gathered around as Samuel waded into the water with him. Nathan crossed his arms, and held his breath as Samuel doused him into the water-baptizing him into the family as he had so many others before.

"We welcome a new brother in to our family. He will live and work among us, and will be welcome here all the rest of our days."

Nathan rose out of the water-reborn as one of the family. He could almost feel the love-he smiled a bit. His eyes finding Ness in the crowd.

She had hoped he would find her after he dried off and changed back into his regular clothes, but after she had helped Celmay clean up most of the supper meal she noticed Lydia and Nathan still sitting at the table. Their body language all but obvious. They were flirting-close.

Ness took a deep breath and gathered herself up. She shouldn't pout like Edgar. She should be happy for Lydia-and Nathan. She should…

"Be careful, Ness. Your eyes may well pop out of your head." It was Samuel.

"I was just checking if any more dishes needed to be cleared." She lied to him.

"I think you've done your fair share tonight." Samuel said-making it clear he didn't want Ness near Lydia and Nathan. "Maybe you should rest, eh? It has been an eventful day." He smiled comfortingly-with only a hint of venom.

She nodded and turned to leave. Samuel-convinced she had taken his advice then turned himself to go. But Ness only walked a few paces before she stopped. Everyone else was walking by congratulating Nathan-why shouldn't she as well? They had connected earlier, had they not? It would be rude not to welcome him…

She turned to go over to them, when she noticed Lydia's hand entwined with Nathan's. Ness stopped cold in her tracks.

This was ridiculous-how could she be feeling this way? She didn't even know him…

Her eyes caught Edgar. He was sitting a ways off near her caravan-once again casually sharpening his knife.

Her feet carried her towards him. She wasn't sure why. She told herself he looked lonely and that she should cheer him up-but part of her knew it was she who needed cheering.

She walked up behind him.

"Hi, Edgar." she said quietly.

He heard her but didn't look up.

"You ok?" she asked.

He stopped sharpening his knife and did look up but didn't turn around to face her.

She walked a few steps closer to him. She leaned over him and ran her hand down his back.

Edgar's eyes closed.

Ness let her right arm wrap around to his front as she leaned her head into the back of his neck-smelling him-that mixture of sweat and manly cologne he wore.

"Making Sylar jealous, are we?" Edgar asked coldly. His eyes reopening.

Ness paused. Was he right? Was that what she was doing?

She looked back over to the main table, where Lydia was leading Nathan away by the arm-back to her trailer, no doubt.

Ness realized, yes, she was jealous.

She started to rise up, pulling her arm away from Edgar. He moved at above human speed-grabbing her arm to stop her from pulling away.

He stood-still holding her hand to him, he turned to face her. He didn't speak but moved forward-stepping closer into her. She looked up into his eyes. She didn't realize someone could look so intense and sad at the same time.

He leaned in and kissed her gently. Considering his ability was speed, Ness almost thought his kisses would be hurried or rushed, but they weren't. They were almost painfully slow and deliberate as though he was savoring every second-and as they stepped into her caravan and they shut the door behind them- she knew his love making would be much the same.

Ok…Im not above begging. Loads of people (ok 4) have favorited this but I'm getting very few(1!) reviews. Pleaasee review.

Also-this isn't the end…I figure at this point Sylar is two people…Nathan and Gabriel…(since 'Sylar' is in matt parkman) sooo since Nathan has a thing for blondes it only makes sense HES attracted to Lydia….but I think Gabriel actually quite likes Ness. We'll seee….ps Edgar is soo sweet.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning Edgar opened the thin metal door when Nathan knocked. He leaned against the frame, menacingly staring down at Nathan.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Nathan apologized quickly. "I thought this was Ness's trailer."

"It is." Edgar said curtly. "Gar-you've got company." he called back over his shoulder.

As she came into view, Edgar pushed back from the door frame and turned to her.

"I got chores to do. I'll see you later, yeah?" he asked, after he pecked her on her forehead quickly.

She nodded. He smiled.

Edgar turned and heavily thumped down the few steps, giving Nathan his best warning glare as he went by.

"Did you need something?" Ness tried to sound friendly, but it came out a bit forced.

"I was hoping we could, er _you_ could, show me around a bit more. I know we have chores I just don't know where to start really." He looked back over his shoulder where Edgar had left. He knew it was a very thin pretext. "Actually, maybe I should just…" he began to back away.

"No." she stopped him. "I can help you get started. Its fine. Follow me." she stepped down out of her trailer and onto the soft ground. She wanted to ask why Lydia wasn't helping him but the look he had on his face when Edgar kissed her made her stomach do flipflops. Maybe things weren't as obvious as they seemed.

They walked to Samuel's trailer and looked at the chalk board outside his door. There were two notes written on it in Samuel's writing. _Gar-Repair Zipper hydraulics and the Ferris Wheel_.

"You're the mechanic?" Nathan laughed.

"Our machines are old. They break almost daily."

"Why don't you just make them all new again?"

"Well, if I did that- I wouldn't be needed-would I?" She smiled. "Besides something's are better a bit broken in-like shoes. Don't you think?"

"I suppose." he smiled back at her"

"Come on. You can give me a hand."

---

"Done." Ness said sitting up from underneath the metal plating of the Ferris Wheel's motor. She got out of the way so that Nathan could lower the lid back down for her. "I appreciate the help." she smiled. "I can fix things but lifting isn't one of my stronger suits."

"No problem." he grinned down at her.

She sat up and dusted her hands off.

"Ness." Nathan said as he sat down beside her on the warm metal grate. "I was thinking…"

She looked into his deep-set chocolate eyes and wished he was about to tell her he liked her, or at the very least he didn't like Lydia. She bit her lip as he got his words straight in his head.

"You fix things, Ness." he finished finally.

She sighed. She knew where this was going.

"I don't use my powers on people, Nathan." It took all her will power to move away from him, but he grabbed her hand.

"Ness, I'm broken." His eyes pleaded up at her. "I feel like there's two people inside of me-at war with each other. I need your help."

"Couldn't Lydia help you?" she asked-her jealousy showing through.

He looked up at her-mouth slightly open. "It didn't come up."

"I'm sorry." she apologized. "I have no right. I'm glad you two are together." she lied.

"I wouldn't say we're together." he corrected her.

"Oh-that's good." she mumbled.

"You'll help me then?" he asked.

"No. I'm sorry Nathan, but it doesn't work like that."

"I'm only asking you to do what it is you do." he said. "I need to find out who I truly am-why I have memories that aren't my own."

"My power wont help you do that."

"But you could take me back to a time when I was whole, couldn't you?"

"I…"

"Hey Gar!" Edgar called out from a few meters away. "Need your help over here."

"You can be happy here, Nathan. You can become someone new altogether. Anyway, I gotta go. " She quickly stepped away from him and let herself out the gate.

---

The sunlight had long been replaced by the bright multicolored carnival lights.

Nathan wormed his way through the crowd. Though still feeling out of place as everyone else seemed to be working, he took comfort in the fact that various faces from various booths looked out at him kindly as he passed. They seemed to know it would take him time to find his place among them.

He looked over at Lydia's tent and thought for a moment about going in, but didn't for a fear the fortune teller was with a _client._ Instead he walked on before coming to a booth that had gathered a small crowd.

"Gather round ladies and gents-See Edgar and Knives of Fury!" It was Ness. She was standing on a box near a closed off curtain. She was speaking like a circus ringleader. "You'll 'ooh' as he never misses a bulls eye. You'll 'aah' as his arms move faster than the human eye can see. Only three tickets to see Edgar and his Furious Knives!"

Once about 10 people paid their tickets and went inside Ness closed the rope behind her, but waved Nathan in with a smile.

Edgar stood in the center of the small tent-seemingly oblivious to the small audience.

"Gather in now." Ness said to the group. "Don't be shy. We guarantee no lost limbs."

Nathan pushed in closer.

"And now-without further ado…." Ness let her words build as she placed an apple on the top of a large spike next to the large bulls eye at the far edge of the room. "I give you, Edgar!"

Edgar grinned a bit to himself as Ness went back to her spot by the crowd. She wasn't usually his 'announcer' but he had asked her to be tonight as he wanted her to see his powers in full force after the night before-not to mention he didn't want her to be out of his sight for long.

The crowd did gasp as Edgar's arms began to move around him at full speed then again as Edgar hit the apple on top of the spike with one of his smaller knives.

There was some small applause as Ness walked back to where the knife was in the apple. She pulled out the knife and gave it to Edgar and then dropped the demolished apple into the basket-using her powers to fix it again before pulling it back out and sitting it to the side.

"And now for the target." Ness pulled forward Edgars targeting board. It had many numbers painted across its face. "If we could have someone from the audience choose any number on the board -one through twenty." she prodded. Many numbers were called out but she heard an eleven the loudest.

"Alright-Eleven it is…Edgar." Edgar nodded and turned back around and once again his arms swayed around him swiftly until with a flash and a quick _thwick_ the knife landed smack inbetween the two ones.

"That cant be real!" a man in the audience yelled out over the applause. Edgar turned to him, obviously angry. "This is rubbish. it's a hoax."

"What's that, sir?" Ness stepped forward and addressed the patron-placing a cautionary hand on Edgar's now tensed shoulder.

"Done with mirrors, I'll bet." The man hit another nearby crowd member with the back of his hand. "There wasn't any holes in the board when we came in. You think they buy a new one each time?"

Edgar shot Ness a glance.

"I assure you. There's no tricks." Ness showed her hands.

"Oh yeah? Prove it." The heavy set man stepped closer and picked up the apple she had left near by. "If Edgar-here's so great-Hold the apple yourself and let him toss a knife at you."

Edgar had enough. He was advancing on the man and about to push Ness out of the way to kick him out himself when he heard Ness say "Ok-Fine."

She took the apple from the man and turned. Edgar turned his head at her, questioningly.

"Shall I put it on my head-or just hold it."

"I'm not doing it." Edgar said quickly-reaching out to grab the apple from her. There was a collective 'Awh!' from the gathered crowd.

"It's alright, Edgar. I know you wont hurt me." She stepped past him and stood in front of the target. "Should I hold it in my mouth?" she giggled nervously.

Edgar walked forward to her. He leaned in. "Gar, we don't have to do this." His eyes stared deeply into hers.

"Its what the crowd wants." she said back at him.

"Sod the crowd." he frowned, but could tell she had her mind made up.

"They're waiting," she whispered back.

He slumped his shoulders, defeated. He then pursed his lips and forcefully stood her sideways.

"Hold it out, like this." He said, clearly upset, and had her hold the apple in her palm at arms length. "-and don't move." He added right before he walked back to his throwing spot.

The tension could've been cut with a knife as Edgar began moving his arms at speed-all that was visible to Ness was glances of his furrowed brow.

The knife made no sound as it sliced through the air toward her hand. It took every ounce of self control not to pull her hand away.

The knife cut the apple perfectly into two peices as it passed through-lodging firmly into the board behind her.

The crowd all breathed a collective sigh-as if they too had been holding their breath. Then, they began clapping.

Ness herself clapped at Edgar as the crowd began to shuffle their way out of the tent. Nathan a bit unhappy with the look between Ness and Edgar snuck out as well.

"I think we may just have added a new bit to our act." She said as she patted him on the shoulder.

"_Our_ act now, is it?" he asked. He moved forward and pulled his knife out of the board where it had stuck.

"We make a pretty good team." she smiled.

"I don't like throwing knives at you." He wiped the apple juice off it. "What if I miss?"

"Edgar-you never miss!"

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